Arts and Culture

Jersey City’s nonprofit arts and culture sector, which generated $46 million in economic activity, supported over 530 jobs, provided $28.2 million in personal income, and contributed $7.1 million in tax revenue in 2022, is vital to the city’s economy and community cohesion. Artists and organizations face challenges like federal budget cuts, rising costs, limited affordable workspaces, and fewer venues, prompting Team McGreevey to collaborate with local artists, educators, and advocates on a Jersey City Arts Blueprint, a community-driven plan based on public roundtables to identify policies and priorities across five core pillars to sustain and grow the creative economy.

1. AFFORDABILITY

If we want artists, educators, healthcare workers, and other essential professionals to continue calling Jersey City home, we must address the cost of living. The Blueprint calls for expanded affordable live/work housing for artists and cultural workers, tax stabilization to reduce financial pressure on renters and homeowners, and stronger incentives for developers to include cultural spaces like studios, rehearsal rooms, and galleries in new projects. When artists can afford to stay, they invest deeply in their neighborhoods through placemaking, education, and civic engagement.

2. Infrastructure and Leadership

Jersey City needs more accessible, affordable spaces where creativity can flourish, and a strong, empowered arts council to help lead the way. The Blueprint calls for continued investment in the Jersey City Arts Council as a transparent, accountable, and well-resourced body that reflects the full diversity and needs of our city’s artists, educators, and cultural organizations. We must increase performance, rehearsal, and exhibition spaces, especially in historically underserved neighborhoods. Partnerships with groups like ChaShaMa (a nonprofit that transforms vacant real estate into studio, presentation, and classroom space for artists and small businesses) can turn vacant properties into vibrant cultural hubs, revitalizing retail corridors. A new citywide survey of available spaces will ensure that every Ward, from Greenville to the Heights, is represented on

Jersey City’s cultural map.

3. Strengthening the Arts & Culture Trust Fund

Since its launch in 2021, the Jersey City Arts & Culture Trust Fund has provided more than $2 million in grants to nearly 200 artists and organizations (Hudson County View; Jersey City Press Release, 2024). That’s real support for rent, salaries, and program costs. The Fund needs to grow in order to meet growing demand, and it needs to do so without burdening residents. By cultivating sustainable partnerships with philanthropic and corporate supporters, we can expand the Fund and provide long-term stability for Jersey City’s creative economy.

4. Visibility and Access

Every week, Jersey City offers remarkable exhibitions, performances, festivals, and public art, but too often, they go unseen. We need a central platform that makes it easy for residents and visitors to connect with our city’s cultural life. That’s why the Blueprint proposes a user-friendly, multilingual, City-supported website and app to list events, artist opportunities, and public programs. Designed with accessibility and inclusion in mind, this hub would also feature low-cost advertising space for local artists and small businesses, and could eventually become financially self-sustaining.

5. Equity in Arts Education and Access

Everyone, regardless of age, income, language, or ability, deserves access to arts and culture. That means deepening partnerships with local schools, after-school programs, and senior centers. It also means improving transportation, signage, and ADA access so that cultural resources are truly reachable. One bold idea is a partnership with the Jersey City Free Public Library to establish a dedicated arts education branch—modeled after The Hive in Spokane, Washington—that would offer workshops, exhibitions, and creative resources for all ages under one roof.

conclusion

The Jersey City Arts Blueprint is a vision for civic belonging and economic sustainability, fostering collaboration through regular roundtables with artists, cultural leaders, educators, and small business owners, recognizing artists as essential stakeholders whose insights enhance planning, development, and education while strengthening community identity, and with coordinated, long-term investment, Jersey City’s vibrant and resilient creative community can thrive as a celebrated public good, enabling artists to live, create, and contribute for generations.